Organic Chemistry is the study of structure, properties, and reactions of carbon containing molecules. Majority of the compounds are hydrocarbons which means they contain carbon and hydrogen. They can also include elements such as oxygen, halogens, and nitrogen, as a result, they will have different functional groups due to special types of molecular groups attached to hydrocarbon derivatives.

 

Organic chemistry started as the chemistry of life, when that was thought to be different from the chemistry in the laboratory. Then it became the chemistry of carbon compounds, especially those found in coal. But now it is both. It is the chemistry of the compounds formed by carbon and other elements such as are found in living things, in the products of living things, and wherever else carbon is found.

 

The discovery of urea by Friedrich Wohler in 1828 is credited with the historical beginnings of organic chemistry. He was able to create this material using inorganic substances, specifically the salts ammonium sulfate and potassium cyanate. Wohler's synthesis was the later name for the procedure. Wohler's finding marked a paradigm shift in our knowledge of the synthesis of organic molecules. Scientists had previously accepted the theory of vitalism. According to vitalism, biological materials possess a "vital force" derived from live organisms. On the other hand, urea is an organic material found naturally in urine. Wohler's synthesis thus refuted the vitalism theory. This opened the door for organic compounds to be studied scientifically as a field apart from organic chemistry and biochemistry

 

Organic chemistry has lots of similarities as Biochemistry  as both of them are studying organic compounds; however, organic chemistry focuses on investigating the chemical and physical properties of organic substances; the mechanism behind each reaction; and the route to synthesize these substances to create new useful compounds. Biochemistry, on the other hand, focuses on those substances that have direct functions in living organisms.

 

In addition to that, organic Chemistry is concerned with studying the chemical and physical behaviors of organic substances for their industrial and commercial applications such as fuel synthesis. Even Though Biochemistry also has industrial applications, it’s more about how the chemical reactions in biological processes work, and it has applications  in medicine and pharmacy.

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Looking at the application of organic chemistry, almost all biotechnology products are the result of organic chemistry as it involves using living organisms and bioprocesses to create products for specific uses including healthcare, crop production, agriculture and more. 

 

Organic industrial chemistry focuses on converting raw materials such as oil, natural gas and minerals into industrial products. Today, this industry is based mainly on petroleum and natural gas as these are finite raw materials. Hence, firms are learning how to convert renewable resources into these organic chemicals.

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Works Cited 

ACS Chemistry for Life (2023). Organic Chemistry. [online] American Chemical Society. Available at: https://www.acs.org/careers/chemical-sciences/areas/organic-chemistry.html.
‌Bell-Young, L. (2021). A Level Chemistry - Introduction To Organic Chemistry. [online] Available at: https://www.chemicals.co.uk/blog/a-level-chemistry-introduction-to-organic-chemistry.
‌theory.labster.com. (n.d.). Overview of common functional groups - Labster Theory. [online] Available at: https://theory.labster.com/functional-groups-overview/.